The Daily Shoutout: Deja blu all over again

Posted on: October 21, 2011 7:10 am

OPENING HIT: The NBA and its players broke off talks yesterday and the language, well, frightened me. Not because it was harsh or threatening but because it sounded freakishly similar to when the NFL and its players were working on their new CBA. I mean, scary. The same expressions of frustration. The same accusations of lying. The same threats from owners. The same notion from players that owners want to shut down the season. Scary.

I mean, totally identical. The difference with the NFL was that the NFL had more time. Their deadline was a preseason game. Their clock ticked much differently. The NBA will soon cut into vital regular season games in a sport that has far less popularity.

What's perhaps most stunning is how the NBA didn't learn from the NFL's mistakes. The NBA's players and owners are doing the exact same thing the NFL did but from a far riskier perch.

So here we go again. But this time, will anyone care?

RICK NEUHEISEL: I heard several weeks ago that members of Neuheisel's staff was looking to the NFL as a possible escape route fearing everyone would get canned at the end of the season. Well, they had better intensify that search because Neuheisel is getting canned.